Italian stories

Tension is rarely far from the surface in Bologna, the capital of northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Autumn is the student protest-marching season, when students occupy buildings, run political discussions and hold demonstrations. These photographs were taken between 26 October…

Aloha Oe was on his way to becoming a well-known artist, painting on canvas and appearing in art galleries, when he discovered the world of street art. “I chose my street artist name when I was studying Gauguin at school…

Hidden behind the graffiti and street-art walls of an abandoned warehouse in northern Italy, migrants gather in a classroom to learn Italian. This is Scuola di Italiano migranti – the Italian school for migrants. “This place is beautiful. I…

In 2015, a blog called Doppio Standard (Double Standard) was launched in Italy. It aims to challenge attitudes by talking about ‘slut shaming’, victim blaming, bullying, homophobia and gender stereotyping. Bloggers Mary, Tiziana and Barbara talk to Portraits from Italy…

Daniele Del Pozzo is artistic director of Bologna’s annual Gender Bender festival. It aims to explore perceptions of gender through art, theatre, debate, music and culture. “I moved to Bologna when I was 18 to study art, music and theatre. I…

Every sexual desire is a romantic request: this is the idea behind Goodnight, Peeping Tom, Chiara Bersani’s production for Bologna’s Gender Bender festival. It sees the body as a ‘political entity’ which is formed and transformed by society and the gaze of…

The Baobab is a prehistoric tree that grows in the dry African savannah. Known as the tree of life, it symbolises endurance in a landscape where little else can thrive. It’s no surprise, therefore, that in a sometimes hostile world for refugees,…

Originally from Ethiopia, Germanish owns a Habesha restaurant in Bolognina, an inner-city district of Bologna with a thriving migrant community. “We’re like a big family here. The restaurant is going well, thank god. We cook Habesha food. We’re…

Gianluca Costantini (Channel Draw) is a graphic journalist and activist. His art deals with human rights issues. “I use drawings as activism. From the start, I was very engaged in politics. Then I covered the Arab Spring and the Gezi Park…

Welcome to Via Fondazza, a long porticoed street in the crayon-red historic centre of Bologna. This is where Federico Bastiani first opened Social Street, a Facebook page, in 2013. His aim was simply to make new friends. After posting a…

Ritmo Lento – ‘Slow Rhythm’ in Italian – is the name Pasquale and Alessandro chose when they founded a meet-up for young adults. Together they opened a self-funded bar in the San Carlo district of Bologna, where they hold regular talks and…

Cassette tapes are enjoying a revival, and in Italy the comeback is being led by Andrea, owner of Bologna‘s Yerevan Tapes. “Together with my girlfriend, Silvia, we started Yerevan Tapes,” Andrea told Portraits from Italy. “It’s quite experimental. We make ambient,…

Riccardo La Corte had two great passions in life: cooking and rockabilly. In 2008 he opened his first American-style diner in Forlì. “I grew up listening to Elvis while attending cookery school. I’d always dreamed of becoming a chef and…

During term-time, Bologna‘s Via del Pratello teems with students enjoying the pubs, bars and cafes – not to mention a falafel and kebab house called Babilonia, owned by Masood. “I’m Persian. I moved to Italy in 1978. I had…